Thoughts/Advice on Card Portfolio

I am looking for some advice/thoughts from all of you on what cards I should focus on next.

Goals: Summer 2014 Tokyo and Maldives. Avios to fly JAL to Tokyo. MR to transfer to Krisflyer (use SPG to top off) to fly SQ, hopefully suites class. AA miles to fly either Qatar or Etihad from Male back home to Chicago. I plan to do Park Hyatt Maldives and Conrad Maldives. For Tokyo I am open to options but Hyatt Regency looks like a solid option.

Summer 2015. Hong Kong, Bangkok, Southern Thailand. I would like to use UA miles to fly LH and TG. And then AA miles (right now they are called US Air dividend miles ) to fly Cathay. If possible I'd like to sneak in the Conrad Koh Samui (but with the current Hilton devaluation I might be using up my points for the Maldives trip). For Hong Kong I was thinking Hyatt Regency Hong Kong. Again, another solid option.

Cards I have:BA Visa (June 2012). Keeping another year to get the next 50,000 Avios then canceling. Citi AAdvantage Amex and MasterCard (June 2012). Canceling unless I get a good retention.SPG Amex (September 2012). Canceling to get Business version.US Air Barclays MasterCard (September 2012). Keep??? The plan was to keep this for the annual 10,000 bonus. But we will see how this card shapes out.Ink Bold (November 2012). Apply for Ink Plus at anniversary to swap this one out.Hilton NAF Amex (November 2012). Keep.United Chase Visa (November 2012). Cancel.Blue Sky, and Capital one Venture. These are my oldest accounts and I just keep them to help my short credit history.

Future Cards:Bank of American/Bank of Hawaii 2 browser trick. March/April 2013. This is to help our Hilton stash. I’m hoping the two browser trick works out. Chase Hyatt Visa: August 2013? I want to use the nights (my account and my wife’s) for four nights at Park Hyatt Maldives. I figure august would give me enough time to get the certificates and then reserve in September. This way they don’t expire before we use them in June/July 2014.Citi Hilton Reserve: August 2013? I would use two-three of the four free weekend nights to try and get our Conrad Maldives stay to include Friday/Saturday/Sunday (this is if award availability on flights work out). The timing explanation is the same as the Hyatt. Card in August, Certificates in September. Use in June/July. Amex Premier Rewards Gold. Apply????? I would love the 50,000 MR points without having an annual fee (as opposed to the Mercedes Benz version). I would rather not have to worry about getting the gift certificates and use them on an airline. I just worry that I have too many American express applications. Amex SPG business. Fall of 2013??? Depending on when I get the PRG. Chase Sapphire Preferred. Fall 2013/Winter 2014. I know you can only get 1 to two Chase personal Cards every 6 months.

So where do you people think I could fill in the cracks between now and the end of 2013??? That is if you didn't stop reading this novel of a post.

With your travel patterns you might also benefit from Platinum down the road. Combined with Gold it would pad your MR account very well. I don't think you have that many AMEX cards (I mean only ones issued by AMEX, co-brands do not count), I have 5 or 6 and plan to open one more soon.

merice107 said:

Chase Sapphire Preferred. Fall 2013/Winter 2014. I know you can only get 1 to two Chase personal Cards every 6 months.

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Definitely explore the Chase opportunities and try to "solidify" your relationship with them - e.g. at least checking account, better other services; then as your history with them grows you could be able to open many good cards with them. The above statement ("1-2 cards per 6 months") is not a hard limit or rule, I remember there was a point in time where i opened more cards with them than that.

Sometimes you do need to call reconsideration line and talk to them - they might be able to move some credit amount from one card to another (or offer you to close one of the cards, which you already were planning to do) - and then approve the new card.

but just keep in mind ... esp for the 2015 ... you never know what the landscape will be in 2yrs. more devaluations/wrinkles/gems/etc could be and most like likely will come forth.

you make a good point that your 2015 Conrad trip might not occur due to the HHonors recent "enhancements"; if you really want Koh Samui you might need to look into other options. (I think there is a Renaissance there, so maybe some Marriott cards? IDK

I try not to plan 2 years out, only just location and how to get there. 1yr in then I start looking @ hotels

The above statement ("1-2 cards per 6 months") is not a hard limit or rule, I remember there was a point in time where i opened more cards with them than that.

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I didnt even see this the first time I read But yeah 1/2 cards per 6month is a myth. At least for me.
April - Southwest & Sapphire Preferred.
May - Ink
August - United
This Past Monday - Priority Club & Hyatt

I didnt even see this the first time I read But yeah 1/2 cards per 6month is a myth. At least for me.
April - Southwest & Sapphire Preferred.
May - Ink
August - United
This Past Monday - Priority Club & Hyatt

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